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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spring — the season
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to click
  8. spring — of water
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a ring
  12. pop — music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — of water
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com